The present invention relates to storage cabinets. Specifically, the present invention is a modular drawer and support device and method for mounting a drawer within a cabinet.
It is well known in the art that there are advantages to substituting fixed shelves in storage cabinets with movable shelves or drawers. A key difference is that objects stored at the back of a fixed shelf is not accessible while movable shelves and drawers allow full utilization of the cabinet space.
There are various devices and methods known in the art for installing drawers inside cabinets. One system known in the art includes attaching guides directly to the sides of the cabinet to mate with runners on the sides of a drawer. However, this system cannot be installed in cabinets with intermediate supports. Also, the drawers must be continuous across the width of the cabinet.
One attempt to address these drawbacks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,647 and 5,761,786 to Simons. The device shown in these references include guides attached to columns that are, in turn, secured to the floor of a cabinet. However, a drawback of this device is that the columns supporting the guides are independent. That is, each side must be placed in the cabinet in the correct position separately. In a confined space such as a cabinet, it can be difficult to position the columns parallel to one another, with the correct spacing, at the correct alignment to allow the drawer to move freely along the guides. Moreover, once positioned, an installer must correctly locate the holes in the brackets securing the columns. Even if corrected positioned and located, the act of installing screws through the holes in the columns may cause the columns to shift out of alignment. Any error in the measuring, positioning, or installing of the columns can cause the drawer to bind inside the guides.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a modular drawer and support that may be easily installed in a cabinet that reduces or eliminates the possibility of misalignment and errors in positioning and installation.
A device for mounting a movable drawer within a cabinet having a floor includes a drawer and a support. The drawer includes a bottom, the width of which defines a footprint, opposing parallel side walls, and rollers mounted to and extending from the side walls. Optionally, the rollers are combined with runners to provide additional support. The side walls cooperate with the bottom to define a container with an open top.
The support includes a base and two guide rails to receive the rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer. The base may, in an optional embodiment, comprise base components and, in a further optional embodiment, cross braces. The guide rails are secured to the base in a substantially parallel relationship at a fixed spacing equal to the spacing between the rollers. Optionally, the guide rails are secured to the base using angle brackets. The device includes means for fixing the support to the cabinet floor.
The present invention also includes a method for mounting a movable drawer within a cabinet having a floor. The method is directed to drawers of the type having a bottom, the width of which defines a footprint, and rollers secured to and extending from the side walls of the drawer. The method begins with providing a base and two guide rails adapted to receive said rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer. The guide rails are secured to the base in a substantially parallel relationship at a fixed spacing equal to the spacing between the rollers. The base is secured to the cabinet floor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for mounting a movable drawer to the floor of a cabinet. It is a further object of the invention to provide a drawer system for a cabinet that avoids the shifting and misalignment problems of the prior art by providing a base that correctly spaces the guide rails prior to installation in the cabinet.